textproduct: Quad Cities

KEY MESSAGES

- Light/moderate showers will continue to be scattered in a narrow band over the southern 1/2 of the area today.

- A clipper-like system Tuesday morning is forecasted to bring scattered (30-70%) showers and thunderstorms to the region.

SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/

Issued at 225 AM CDT Fri May 8 2026

A rather moisture starved, but active warm frontal boundary is set up over our CWA early this morning, as some ripples of energy stream in in northwest flow. Small showers are forming in in the F-gen band near I-80 early this morning, and have been festering since last evening, while moving east, along and mainly south of the I-80 corridor. The footprint of any measurable rainfall has been very small, but we've seen some amounts potentially near 0.20 from these showers in locations that have seen a few rounds. So far, Moline (KMLI) has seen the most as of 1 AM, with 0.15" measured.

This F-gen band showery activity will gradually drop south today, and initially diminish this morning as forcing wanes, but we're seeing another wave upstream in NE early today, that should move through the zone by late morning/early afternoon, and I expect coverage to tick up again then, but by that time, this band should be mainly south of Highway 34.

The main impact of this band will be to hold temperatures down in the south 1/2 of the area today, though that doesn't mean cold, but rather highs near 70s, vs the potential of mid 70s if the cloud cover were less consistent. If the break in rain does offer more sun to southern areas today, we could reach 75 there, while a mix of sun and clouds will more confidently bring highs in the lower 70s to areas along and north of I-80 today. With WSW winds around 7 to 10 mph, this will be a rather pleasant day for nearly the entire area, despite some rain chances in the south.

Southwest winds will bring a bit more mild air into the region tonight, and despite clearing skies, lows should only fall to the mid to upper 40s.

LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/

Issued at 225 AM CDT Fri May 8 2026

Saturday... A shortwave trough over North Dakota and Minnesota will dive to the southwest over the Great Lakes, deepening a low pressure over southern Ontario. Isolated (10%) light rain showers are possible as a cold front moves southward into the area. Highs are forecasted to climb into the 70s and low-80s ahead of the front as westerly flow at the surface shifts to the northwest. Winds gusts could exceed to 35 mph along the front.

Sunday-Monday... As the cold front continues to propagates southward, an f-gen band at 700 mb will produce a swath of light stratiform rain Sunday morning, primarily south of Highway 34. Once these showers move out Sunday afternoon, conditions are expected to be dry up as northwest flow on the backside of a longwave trough and a high pressure over much of the Midwest supports subsidence across the region. Highs are forecasted to be seasonable in the mid-60s to low 70s with lows dipping back into the upper 30s to mid-40s Sunday night. The pattern shifts Monday night as the winds shift to southerly as the next low pressure system closes in.

Tuesday-Wednesday... A clipper-like system is forecast to dive into the Northern Plains Tuesday morning. Shortwave troughing and ridging will enhance divergence aloft over eastern Iowa, Wisconsin, and northern Illinois as a vorticity maximum pushes into Minnesota. The low-to-mid-level response will also be strong with a 850-700 mb f-gen band developing over the CWA, WAA at 850 mb ahead of the front, and a deepening low pressure over northern Iowa. The only limiting factor is the lack of mid- level moisture with model disagreement on the exact placement of a narrow band of high 700 mb RH. LREF currently has a 70% spread on 700 mb RH values Tuesday morning, but there is agreement on a band of heavier precipitation (0.2 to 0.4 inches) moving across northwest Illinois, but the southwestward extent remains questionable.

As the low pressure continues to slide to the southeast into the Ohio River Valley Tuesday night, a weak surface trough underneath the passing 500 mb trough axis could support some rain showers through Wednesday morning before another high pressure anchors over the Northern Plains as longwave ridging builds over the Rockies.

Thursday... A little deju vu from Monday night as the surface high pressure over the Upper Mississippi River Valley shifts to the east, setting up southeasterly flow over Iowa ahead of the next approaching cold front. There is the potential for some pre-frontal showers, but there is model uncertainty on the position of the developing warm front with a 10-degree spread in high temperatures according to the LREF.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1243 AM CDT Fri May 8 2026

A weak surface boundary is producing spotty SHRA along and south of the I-80 corridor with brief MVFR conditions possible at KMLI and KBRL through 08z tonight. Otherwise, VFR conditions expected for the next 24 hour period as the current low-level cloud deck moves out and is replaced with a SCT to BKN cirrus deck Friday morning. Winds will be light and variable tonight before becoming westerly Friday afternoon.

DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

IA...None. IL...None. MO...None.